January 15, 2013

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli soldiers discovered the opening of a large tunnel in Israeli territory dug from the Gaza Strip, which officials believe is intended for use in terror activity.

The tunnel was discovered Monday near Kibbutz Nir Oz, during a regular patrol near the border with Gaza. 

The tunnel was built in order to execute terror attacks against Israeli civilians and Israel Defense Forces soldier, the IDF said in a statement released Tuesday. “The tunnel, large enough to carry people, is the same kind of tunnel used in 2006 to ambush IDF soldiers & kidnap Gilad Shalit,” the IDF said on its Twitter account.

Captive soldier Gilad Shalit was released by Hamas in October, 2011, after more than five years in captivity, in exchange for some 1,100 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom reportedly returned to participating in terror activities.

Palestinian terror groups, including Hamas, have called for the kidnapping of more Israeli soldiers in order to exchange them for Palestinians in Israeli jails.
 

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